Basics Go A Long Way

Coming into wrestling you may find many people want to show you so many things. These days wrestling has become very advanced and there are a large amount of technical moves out there to try and master. The thing is wrestling has been around for hundreds of years and many of the simple, basic moves are tried and true.

To be a great wrestler it may be as simple as training hard on a few simple moves. In wrestling there are three positions in top, bottom, and neutral. If you can master two moves at each position you will be very dominant versus almost any opponent.

Find the two you are most comfortable within each position. From there you want to make it where you can go from either side on top or on your feet. From any setup or if on bottom you have to be ready to hit your move no matter which side the top lines up.

The main thing is to keep it simple and practice your main basic moves until you don't have to think about hitting them correctly anymore. Two moves like that in each position will make you a champion. GUARANTEED!

Realignment and State Duals Update

The KHSAA Coaches Advisory Committee was scheduled to meet on April 20th to discuss realigning our regions. Several options were discussed amongst coaches at the State Tournament privately including expanding to more regions, just making some minor moves, and completely reorganizing most of the regions geographically. Unfortunately, the meeting was cancelled because of some other issues that were being addressed first. I am in a region that needs realignment just as bad as anyone but I do understand that there are some more prevalent issues to be addressed. One of them should be passed at the end of this month. We will discuss realignment at our next meeting in the fall but nothing will be changed for the upcoming season unless it is very minor.

I was also working on a proposal to move the State Duals to after the State Tournament to draw more attention to the tournament and make it a premier event in the state. I met with the KHSAA and had the proposal started but realized that if our coaches do not support it than it would not pass. I surveyed all of the coaches in the state and found that most do not support the move at this time. There were several in favor but not enough to move forward. Again, if the coaches do not push for it, than it is a wasted effort. The KWCA State Duals will remain on the same weekend it has in the past falling on January 30th, 2010 this upcoming season. Henry Clay will be the host in what should be one of the better tournaments in some time with several teams improving over the past few years.

One final note, there could be a big change coming from the KHSAA regarding wrestling in the next few weeks. Stay posted to Kentucky Wrestling News when the news breaks for the details.

Defender of the Mat Results

This past weekend, Bryan Station hosted the Defender of the Mat Folkstyle Tournament. There over 100 participants that competed from Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Ohio. There were several great matches and the competition was great for all that participated.

Bantan 40
1st - Keegan Connin

Bantam 45
1st - Kaden Connin
2nd - Zander Bunch

Bantam 55
1st - David Clark

Intermediate 65
1st - Michael Mattox

Intermediate 75
1st - Jake Meredith

Intermediate 95
1st - Dalton Dowdle

Intermediate 112
1st - Dalton Jett

Intermediate 125
1st - Nicole Riedling

Novice 75
1st - Tucker Hurst

Novice 80
1st - Logan Erdman
2nd - Samual Williams

Novice 90
1st - John Shirkey

Novice 95
1st - Dominic Lampe
2nd - Jonathan Stallman

Novice 100
1st - Colin Coy

Novice 120
1st - Tinker Riedling

Schoolboy 77
1st - Jacob Maguire

Schoolboy 91
1st - Christopher Abernathy

Schoolboy 98
1st - Justin Lampe
2nd - Clyde Newcomer
3rd - Rebecca Maguire

Schoolboy 105
1st - Daniel Lannum
2nd - Jacob Smith
3rd - Bradley Pokuta

Schoolboy 112
1st - Josh Powell
2nd - TJ Bancom

Schoolboy 125
1st - Nathan Doss

Schoolboy 135
1st - Seth Pile

Schoolboy 144
1st - Wyatt Courtney
2nd - Storm Savage
3rd - Alexis Styles

Schoolboy 152
1st - Richard Cote
2nd - John Clark
3rd - Tyson Gregory

Schoolboy 160
1st - Darius Parrott

Schoolboy 190
1st - Jacob Cundiff

Schoolboy 265
1st - Michael Jones
2nd - Jacob Todd

Cadet 91
1st - Matt Cantin

Cadet 102
1st - Ryan Norbury

Cadet 112
1st - Hunter Barker
2nd - Lance Kelly

Cadet 119
1st - James Bond
2nd - Gabe McIlrath
3rd - Kortland maguire
4th - Ross Hunter
5th - Corey Johnson

Cadet 125
1st - Antonio lopez

Cadet 130
1st - Nick Waits

Cadet 135
1st - Kyle Honeycutt
2nd - Tevon Clay
3rd - Josh Lopez

Cadet 140
1st - Jacob Smith
2nd - Kyle Bunch

Cadet 145
1st - Alex Pearson
2nd - Draven Puffenbarger
3rd - Zach Bogard

Cadet 152
1st - John Lampe
2nd - Jt Gressler
3rd - Chad Goodrich
4th - Colin Wilkins

Cadet 189
1st - Ian Korb

Cadet 285
1st - Christian Wilkins
2nd - Elliot Porter

Junior 112
1st - Lance Kelly

Junior 119
1st - Camden Hanley
2nd - Ross Hunter

Junior 125
1st - Jimmy Lacy
2nd - Mack Logsdon
3rd - James Childress

Junior 130
1st - Brandon Abney

Junior 135
1st - Christian Kerr
2nd - Robbie Vanderpool

Junior 140
1st - Kyle Terry
2nd - Corey McCall
3rd - Will Bryant

Junior 145
1st - Justin Giuffrida
2nd - Greg Stratman
3rd - Korey Belew
4th - Patrick Blevins

Junior 152
1st - Jordan Murphy
2nd - Daniel Urban
3rd - Patrick Bunch

Junior 160 Group A
1st - Samual Conners
2nd - Russell Rowland
3rd - Kyle Wieland
3rd - Joshua Taylor
3rd - Willaim Powell

Junior 160 Group B
1st - Dane Niday
2nd - Justin Marshall
3rd - Stephen Kimbrell

Junior 171
1st - James Shinault

Junior 189
1st - Sean Garcia
2nd - Dustin Thompson
3rd - Sam Bryant

Junior 215
1st - Steven House

Junior 285
1st - Matt Wocher
2nd - Brandon Gressler
3rd - Chris Jones

University 174
1st - Jeff Perdue

Senior 163
1st - Charlie Kowalczuk
2nd - David Lannum

Wrestling Technique Tip of the Week

This weeks focus is keeping your head up on your shots. Cary Kolat from Kolat.com shows a good drill in working on keeping your head up during your shots. A lot of wrestlers just dive in and get in bad position and situations simply by not keeping their head up. Try this drill in your wrestling room and see how much your shots improve in practice and in matches.

Healthy Energy Drink and Fundraising Opportunity

Efusjon is a new energy drink on the market that includes the energy supplements from the acai berry. The acai berry is one of the top ten natural fruits that provides high levels of energy. Research shows that the acai berry may fight cancer, increase energy, and aid in weight loss. Efusjon also provides entrepeneurs and clubs the opportunity to make money by promoting and using their product. I have heard great things about this product and in tough times, this is a great way to make money for your program while absorbing the benefits of a caffeine free, natural energy drink. For more information about the product and how to get involved visit: http://www.myefusjon.com/garrisonheadley or contact Garrett Headley at 859-333-1629.

Wrestling Technique Tip of the Week

This week's Technique Tips are from Lehigh University. Often times we focus on neutral and winning with takedowns but fail to master top and bottom. This week the focus is on how to win at the bottom position and being in good position.

KHSAA Rules Changes Could be Coming

The KHSAA may be making some very favorable rules changes within the next few weeks. I cannot elaborate on the extent of the rules changes but I can say that it is one that is long needed for Kentucky Wrestling to continue to grow. The rule change has passed through all but two of the steps needed to be changed and has made it through what appears to be toughest steps to get through. The rule is expected to be changed at the end of May so stay tuned to Kentucky Wrestling News for updates as I receive them.